Boy accused of Brianna Ghey murder blames co-defendant

A boy accused of the “frenzied” stabbing of transgender teenager Brianna Ghey has told a court that his co-defendant murdered her, using his hunting knife.

Brianna, 16, died after being stabbed 28 times in her head, chest, neck and back in Linear Park in the village of Culcheth, near Warrington, on 11 February.

Two teenagers, identified only as boy Y and girl X, both deny murder and are blaming each other for Brianna’s death.

The pair, then 15 but now 16, who cannot be identified due to their ages, are standing trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Boy Y said girl X asked him to bring his hunting knife to the park and “had a plan to stab Brianna” although he did not, jurors heard.

But he said he did not take her plan seriously as she was “always talking about murder and nothing happens”.

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Boy Y gave the knife to girl X, who put it in her waistband, before Brianna arrived in Culcheth and the three walked to the park.

He described hearing clothes rustling, a thud and a “puncturing” sound, from behind a tree, while he went to relieve himself.

“I saw girl X stabbing [Brianna Ghey]. She was on the floor,” he said, adding: “At least three times, although I wasn’t trying to count.”

He told the court there was blood “everywhere” on the floor and around the victim. He put his hands on Brianna to see what happened and got “lots” of blood on them, the court heard.

As dog walkers approached, girl X told boy Y “we’ve got to run”, he told the court.

He said he asked why she stabbed Brianna and she responded: “[Brianna] had tried to get me to break up with my boyfriend and that is unforgivable.”

Boy Y denied any animosity towards Brianna because she was transgender.

He said girl X gave him back the knife, which was found by police in his bedroom – with his DNA on the handle and Brianna’s blood on the blade – together with his blood-stained clothes and trainers.

No blood was found on the clothes of girl Y, the court heard.

Boy Y, who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and selective mutism, began giving evidence on day 13 of the trial, typing his testimony on a keyboard.

He was sat behind a desk in a side room of the courtroom, with his answers spoken to an intermediary sat beside him.

Jurors watched him give evidence via video link, with his words appearing on a screen as they were typed out.

Boy Y described being “dazed” by the attack – adding that he could not confide in his parents due to his autism and “not being able to express himself easily”, the court heard.

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Explaining why he searched the internet for information on victims and witnesses, he told the jury: “I was searching because I was planning on telling the police – I just didn’t know how.”

He told officers when he was arrested, “I can explain”, the court heard.

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But when asked by his barrister, Richard Littler KC, why he didn’t tell police that girl X had used his knife, he said: “I was scared of being told off by the police.”

Both defendants had a fascination with violence, torture and death and had discussed a “kill list” of other children to harm, as well as a “murder plan” on how to kill Brianna, jurors heard.

Girl X also enjoyed watching internet torture and killing material from the “dark web” and had an interest in serial killers, the court heard.

She said this was just a “dark fantasy” while boy Y said he never thought it was serious.

Boy X said: “I didn’t think she would try to seriously harm anyone.”

The trial continues.

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